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Danielson climbs way to stage three win

Garmin-Sharp takes control of USA Pro Challenge

By John Henderson The Denver Post

Posted:
08/22/2012 10:39:28 PM MDT

Updated:
08/22/2012 10:39:34 PM MDT

ASPEN -- For the rest of Tom Danielson's life, he'll look back at arguably the greatest day of his career Wednesday with one regret. The picture of him after he crossed the finish line will forever be of him merely looking over his shoulder. No pointing to the sky. No rocking of his newborn baby in his arms. No sign language to some Boulder cycling gang.

"So many things were going through my brain," Danielson said after winning the queen (highest, hardest) stage of the USA Pro Challenge. "I didn't even do a finish-line salute. I was like, 'I just won a race and a big one and a pretty (gutsy) way to win it. What do I do?' "

He could do two things: One, salute Christian Vande Velde, his teammate on Boulder-based Team Garmin-Sharp. After he finished his role in the peloton that nearly steamrolled past Danielson at the finish line, Vande Velde donned the yellow jersey.Two, Danielson can salute his wife, Stephanie, who gave him some ironic advice before Wednesday's Stage 3, a brutal, 130.5-mile stage including climbs up 12,000-foot Cottonwood and Independence passes from Gunnison to Aspen.

Never look back.

He had descended 12,095-foot Indy Pass all alone and only had a screaming 20-mile, mostly downhill, descent to the finish in Aspen. He had a 2-minute, 15-second lead on the peloton.

Then it started to drop: 2:00, 1:40, 1:20. With 4.7 miles to go, it was only 50 seconds.

"We went really fast up and over," Vande Velde said. "From then on, it was pedal to the metal.

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No one's ever ridden their bike down Independence Pass that fast, ever. I guarantee it."

With 3 miles to go, the lead was 30 seconds. With two miles, it was 20 seconds. Danielson, a mere 130 pounds, roared through the streets of Aspen with a tidal wave of cyclists bearing down on his rear tire.

"With 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to go, I didn't think I was going to win," Danielson said. "Honestly, what went through my mind was my wife yelling at me: 'Never look back. Don't ever look back.' And I wanted to look back so bad.

"I was like, 'I'm not really sure this is going to work.' No, you are not going to look back. I don't want to get yelled at after the race, so I didn't look back, and it actually worked."

Danielson crossed the finish line only two seconds ahead of the steaming peloton. Then inside that group came Vande Velde, in ninth place, three spots ahead of BMC Racing Team's Tejay van Garderen. The pair entered the day with the same overall time, but van Garderen had the yellow jersey.

With the pair tied in overall time and finishing points, Vande Velde earned the jersey on the third tiebreaker: the better finish that day.

"It was the last thing on my mind," said Vande Velde, whom van Garderen edged for Tuesday's Stage 2 win. "The only thing I was thinking about was Tom on the front and slowing those guys down any way possible."

In what will certainly be a week-long theme, Garmin-Sharp continued taking chances like a card shark playing to inside straights. BMC, the deeper, richer team, has played its cards closer to the vest. For the third consecutive day, Garmin-Sharp's David Zabriskie led a breakaway that helped break up the peloton.

Teammate Lachlan Morton helped the cause, and by the time they reached 12,126-foot Cottonwood Pass, Danielson and Zabriskie were in an eight-man breakaway. By the time they were ascending Independence, Danielson and Colombian Francisco Colorado were alone in front, and Danielson dropped him a mile from the summit.

With four days left, this has become Garmin-Sharp's race. It has won two of the three stages, has the king of the mountains in Danielson and now the yellow jersey. Only 12 seconds separate 13 riders, but the home team is making a stand.

He had descended 12,095-foot Indy Pass all alone and only had a screaming 20-mile, mostly downhill, descent to the finish in Aspen. He had a 2-minute, 15-second lead on the peloton.

Then it started to drop: 2:00, 1:40, 1:20. With 4.7 miles to go, it was only 50 seconds.

"We went really fast up and over," Vande Velde said. "From then on, it was pedal to the metal. No one's ever ridden their bike down Independence Pass that fast, ever. I guarantee it."

With 3 miles to go, the lead was 30 seconds. With two miles, it was 20 seconds. Danielson, a mere 130 pounds, roared through the streets of Aspen with a tidal wave of cyclists bearing down on his rear tire.

"With 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to go, I didn't think I was going to win," Danielson said. "Honestly, what went through my mind was my wife yelling at me: 'Never look back. Don't ever look back.' And I wanted to look back so bad.

"I was like, 'I'm not really sure this is going to work.' No, you are not going to look back. I don't want to get yelled at after the race, so I didn't look back, and it actually worked."

Danielson crossed the finish line only two seconds ahead of the steaming peloton. Then inside that group came Vande Velde, in ninth place, three spots ahead of BMC Racing Team's Tejay van Garderen. The pair entered the day with the same overall time, but van Garderen had the yellow jersey.

With the pair tied in overall time and finishing points, Vande Velde earned the jersey on the third tiebreaker: the better finish that day.

"It was the last thing on my mind," said Vande Velde, whom van Garderen edged for Tuesday's Stage 2 win. "The only thing I was thinking about was Tom on the front and slowing those guys down any way possible."

In what will certainly be a week-long theme, Garmin-Sharp continued taking chances like a card shark playing to inside straights. BMC, the deeper, richer team, has played its cards closer to the vest. For the third consecutive day, Garmin-Sharp's David Zabriskie led a breakaway that helped break up the peloton.

Teammate Lachlan Morton helped the cause, and by the time they reached 12,126-foot Cottonwood Pass, Danielson and Zabriskie were in an eight-man breakaway. By the time they were ascending Independence, Danielson and Colombian Francisco Colorado were alone in front, and Danielson dropped him a mile from the summit.

With four days left, this has become Garmin-Sharp's race. It has won two of the three stages, has the king of the mountains in Danielson and now the yellow jersey. Only 12 seconds separate 13 riders, but the home team is making a stand.

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